I recently started using Max for FumeFX at work, but beyond that I don't use it much. But I would like to know what all the new graphite tools offer!

Not to make this a software debate, but for straight-up modeling I use Modo. It really is like a 3D swiss-army knife. Our studio is primarily an XSI house and although XSI has good modeling tools, modo is really hard to beat in that area and I find it much more fluid. Although I've also started learning Maya of late and I could see myself using Maya just as much. Maya and Modo share a surprising number of methodologies.

I think I know the technique John is talking about, but I wouldn't turn down screenhots.

When I worked in Max I used the Polyboost plugin for modeling. It had some very nice tools to speed up workflow and it was relatively cheap. But it tended to be little buggy at times, this was over a year ago though so it may have been improved.

I've personally never used one but I've seen them floating around. Depending on the rendering engine (I'm think the ones I've seen are for MR), you can get shaders that will do pretty much what tiktok said: render hard edges in such a way that they catch light and appear rounded/beveled/chamfered, although the geo doesn't change at all. XSI and Max have some, and I'm sure there's something for Maya too. But it's just not a proper way to deal with edges (for the vast majority of tasks, because I guess the word "proper" is relative).

My understanding is that the Polyboost plugins were fully integrated into Max 2010 and got renamed as the Graphite modeling tools.

I've used the graphite/polyboost tools a little and there is a tremendous amount of power within them, but I think the UI for them could be streamlined somewhat. I can still model a lot quicker in Cinema despite its aged modelling tool-set, but then I am very much a newcomer to max.

I haven't yet tried Modo, must give it a look. I've used Silo, and found that a lot nicer to use than Max and Maya.

Thanks Mr. Burritoh for the explanation, I assumed that's what it was but just wasn't sure. And also for updating me on max it's been a while since I've used it.

Ian, I agree with you in terms of the UI, It was organized very weird some, tools were buried in other tools which definitely was confusing at times. At least it was like that in the Polyboost stage. I'd imagine it's still somewhat the same.

I know you said you guys work in polies. but since Maya's Nurbs are really great(at least thats what Ive heard) do you ever start out with Nurbs and then convert it to polies?
-B

Yes I do sometimes start in nurbs and convert to poly's. It very much depend on the object you have to make, and how complex it is. The good thing with nurbs , after you convert them to polies you are left with a pretty nice flow across your mesh. Good for planes and large curved surfaces.

For cars i tend to just start from polies, super low shapes and built them up, as the nurbs surface for some of the body panel shapes are too complex to build in nurbs and convert as they leave you with a weird surface which then needs to be edited anyway. So i find starting in polies quicker and as you have more control at the start it help to keep the mesh resolution down.